my girlfriend's 2k5 vibe (newbie needs help)

[roger_27]

hey, I'm a recreational old car mechanic. I own a 59 chevy, and a 79 chevy pickup, and I just sold a 79 - 81 series toyota sr5. I like carbuerators and cables, not electronics and ECUs, so bear with me a little.My girlfriend has a 2005 pontiac vibe GT, and I want to surprise her with a cold air intake. Being the older car guy that I am, I looked into K & N. I trust K & N, but I started to do some searching on ebay and online stores and found lots of companies (BOMZ? Cosmo ? Injen). I also noticed they only offered up to 2004. why ?I noticed on another post that they just released the 2005 vibe CAI from cosmoracing.com . thats cool, but which one do I buy ?http://www.cosmoracing.com/productlist.asp?cid=148I noticed there is PONTIAC VIBE 2005-2006 BASE MODELS PONTIAC VIBE 2005-2006 GT MODELS 2ZZFE I'm guessing I have to look at her VIN number and make sure it's a GT with the 2ZZFE portion in the VIN. right ? or are all GT's 2ZZFE anyway ?Are the filters that come with cloth and rechargable like K & Ns ?are they smog legal in CA?is it true that it also changes the engine sound?Are they hard to install, or can they be installed with a basic set of sockets and screwdrivers?how long does it take to install?can the stock intake be put back on if need be?oh yeah and whats DBW vibes?any help would be appreciatedthanks

[4azdmunky]

As far as I know there you have 1 of 3 options for the CAI: 1. Homedepot (not recommended, the MAF has to be an exact distance from the throttlebody, as I understand it)2. Cosmo3. InjenCosmo and Injen are proven on several Vibes here. I have one on my 05 base and it is one of the first upgrades I recommend (unless your going SC).Someone else here may have had success with their 05 vibe and CAI, they will have to post their input.If you have doubt about your engine, look on the right side, there might still be a sticker there, otherwise double check with the VIN.Last time I heard, there was not a CAI for 05 GT, but i could be wrong. BlueCrush or one of the other Vibe Gods might have a better answer for you.Your other questions:Are the filters that come with cloth and rechargable like K & Ns ?They look cheap, go with K&N, your already comfortable with them and they last longer than your car. Besides, if your going to drop $120 on a CAI, why cheap out and not use K&N?are they smog legal in CA?As far as I know they DO NOT cause your car to fail smog tests. If your car starts running rich, it is most likley because of the MAF.is it true that it also changes the engine sound?Yes, and youll love it. You should consider changing your exchaust with a cat back at the same time ($300-500). I heard that changing the exhaust really brings out the benifits of a CAI. However being a GT, this may not be necessary as the exhaust may already be 2 1/4" ID.Are they hard to install, or can they be installed with a basic set of sockets and screwdrivers?All you need is a #10 socket, long extension for the socket and a screwdriver.how long does it take to install?About an hour, if you take your time. Beer may extend this a bit.can the stock intake be put back on if need be?Yes, easily reversable, not perminate.NOTE: Remove your battery first, DO NOT unplug your MAF EVER with the battery hooked up. From what I've heard, it can burn out the MAF. A replacement MAF (not from ebay) runs up to $120.00

[4azdmunky]

Ok, so i guess there are CAI for 05 GT:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=21912

[Nervous_Dog]

Welcome to Genvibe.Quote, originally posted by roger_27 »I noticed there is PONTIAC VIBE 2005-2006 BASE MODELS PONTIAC VIBE 2005-2006 GT MODELS 2ZZFE I'm guessing I have to look at her VIN number and make sure it's a GT with the 2ZZFE portion in the VIN. right ? or are all GT's 2ZZFE anyway ?All GT's are 2ZZ-FE's. Base and AWD are 1ZZ-GE's.Quote, originally posted by roger_27 »Are the filters that come with cloth and rechargable like K & Ns ?Cosmo Racing says they use a cloth filter. Most likely its rechargeable, but you might want to email them to make sure.Quote, originally posted by roger_27 »are they smog legal in CA?I know most of the larger brands (K&N, Injen) go through smog testing to get an exemption number. I don't know if Cosmo has tested their intake. Email is probably the best way to find out.Quote, originally posted by roger_27 »is it true that it also changes the engine sound?Yes. You'll hear more intake "growl" under hard acceleration.Quote, originally posted by roger_27 »Are they hard to install, or can they be installed with a basic set of sockets and screwdrivers?I haven't done one on my VGT, but I installed a CAI on my Sunfire GT and it was easily done with simple hand tools.Quote, originally posted by roger_27 »how long does it take to install?Don't know. Some people on the board have done theirs in a couple of hours. Quote, originally posted by roger_27 »can the stock intake be put back on if need be?Yes.Quote, originally posted by roger_27 »oh yeah and whats DBW vibes?DBW=Drive By Wire. The throttle is linked electronically to the pedal, rather then by a cable.Hope this helps,Rob

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by Nervous_Dog »Welcome to Genvibe.All GT's are 2ZZ-FE's. Base and AWD are 1ZZ-GE's.A small correction, if I may. 2ZZ-GE and 1ZZ-FE.

[Nervous_Dog]

Durr! You're right Millster. Thanks for correcting that.

[Z600]

I know alot of people on here swear by 'em, but I have to recommend against purchasing a CAI. I had one on my base '03 automatic, and the only difference I could tell was an increase in noise (which many seem to equate with raw power). Not to mention it somehow blew out my MAF in dry weather, which costed $300 to replace (same thing happened to another member). Lotta' hassle, lotta' noise, and not much else. I know dynos aren't supposed to lie, but if you can't feel the difference, what good are the numbers? I sold mine to another member here and put the stock airbox back on with a K&N drop-in I already owned.Oh, BTW, mine was an Injen. Noisy! Sounded like someone blowing over the edge of a glass bottle all the time, and it whistled/huffed when I turned off the ignition. Everyone thought there was something wrong with my car!Just my 2 cents.~ Z600